Turkey Denounces Israeli Settlements in East Jerusalem

Turkey on Tuesday denounced the Israeli government’s decision to build more than 900 new settlements in the Har Home district of East Jerusalem.

“It is unacceptable. The Israeli government on the one hand makes calls to resume talks with the Palestinian side while on the other hand disregarding all international calls [to stop building settlements] and continues [to build] illegal housing, further weakening the atmosphere of confidence between the parties,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a written statement. “We once again call on Israel to act with awareness of its responsibilities stemming from international laws and invite Israel to put an end to its implementations aiming at changing the status of East Jerusalem,” the statement added.

The statement’s release came at a time when relations between the two countries are suffering due to Mavi Marmara raid, in which Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish citizens. A U.N. panel is set to announce its inquiry report into the incident while the Israeli Cabinet is considering issuing a formal apology to Turkey over the tragedy.
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